Archival Dispatch: August 31 Calendar Walk — Best Plays, Sexton Blake, and Bob & Ray

Date: 2026-08-31

Author: radio index

Reading: 3 min

Tags: August 31, Calendar Walk, Best Plays, Noel Coward, Blithe Spirit, John Lund, Mildred Natwick, Sexton Blake, William Franklyn, BBC Light Programme, At Home with the Kirkwoods, Jack Kirkwood, CBS, Bob and Ray, Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding, WHDH Boston, Alternate Titles, Original Filenames

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August 31 Archival Metadata Enrichment (Increment 504)

This archival dispatch documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 31 across world-class Broadway theatrical adaptations, British private detective mysteries, zany domestic marital sitcoms, and deadpan Boston radio parodies, Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit on Best Plays starring John Lund and Mildred Natwick (1952), William Franklyn as Sexton Blake on the BBC (1967), At Home with the Kirkwoods (1945), and three classic WHDH Boston broadcasts of Bob and Ray (1945–1967):

1. August 31 Archival Inventory (Increment 504)

Original Circulating Filename & Alternate Titles	Canonical Title	Network, Airdate & Showtime	Sponsor & Commercial Ads	Credited Cast & Performers	Director, Writers & Crew	Genres	Story Synopsis
`Best_Plays_1952_BlitheSpirit.mp3` Alt: `Blithe Spirit Best Plays`	"Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit with John Lund and Mildred Natwick"	NBC (WNBC) 1952-08-31 6:30 PM EDT	Sustaining Theatre Guild Drama	John Lund, Natwick	John Chapman (Host)	`["Comedy", "Drama", "Theatre", "Best Plays", "Noel Coward", "NBC"]`	A novelist's séance conjures the mischievous ghost of his deceased first wife, who schemes to sabotage his second marriage.
`Blake_1967_SinEaters.mp3` Alt: `The Sin Eaters Sexton Blake`	"The Sin Eaters with William Franklyn"	BBC Light Prog. 1967-08-31 7:00 PM BST	Sustaining Detective Mystery	William Franklyn, Gregory	Gale Pedrick (Writer)	`["Detective", "Mystery", "British", "Sexton Blake", "BBC"]`	Sexton Blake uncovers a sinister occult extortion brotherhood exploiting ancient Welsh funeral customs to blackmail wealthy landowners.
`Kirkwoods_1945_Dice.mp3` Alt: `We're Not Shooting Dice`	"We're Not Shooting Dice with Jack and Lillian Kirkwood"	CBS (WABC) 1945-08-31 7:00 PM EWT	Sustaining Domestic Comedy	Jack & Lillian Kirkwood	Jack Kirkwood (Writer)	`["Comedy", "Domestic", "Sitcom", "Jack Kirkwood", "CBS"]`	Jack and Lillian get entangled in absurd neighborhood gossip when a misunderstanding makes the landlord suspect high-stakes dice games.
`Bob_Ray_1948_HotelSturdley.mp3` Alt: `Live From The Hotel Sturdley`	"Live from the Hotel Sturdley with Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding"	WHDH Boston 1948-08-31 2:00 PM EDST	Sustaining Satirical Comedy	Bob Elliott, Goulding	Bob & Ray (Writers)	`["Comedy", "Satire", "Parody", "Bob and Ray", "WHDH"]`	Bob and Ray spoof remote ballroom broadcasts from the fictional Hotel Sturdley featuring eccentric guest bandleaders.
`Bob_Ray_1948_BobIll.mp3` Alt: `Bob Is Ill Bob and Ray`	"Bob Is Ill with Ray Goulding"	WHDH Boston 1948-08-31 2:15 PM EDST	Sustaining Satirical Comedy	Ray Goulding (Solo)	Bob & Ray (Writers)	`["Comedy", "Satire", "Parody", "Bob and Ray", "WHDH"]`	Ray attempts a solo broadcast while taking humorous telephone updates on Bob's exaggerated physical ailments.
`Bob_Ray_1949_Vacation.mp3` Alt: `Organ And Piano Players On Vacation`	"Organ and Piano Players on Vacation with Bob and Ray"	WHDH Boston 1949-08-31 2:00 PM EDST	Sustaining Satirical Comedy	Bob Elliott, Goulding	Bob & Ray (Writers)	`["Comedy", "Satire", "Parody", "Bob and Ray", "WHDH"]`	Bob and Ray attempt to provide their own chaotic musical sound effects when the studio organist and pianist take time off.

2. Archival Verification Summary

Target Calendar Day: August 31
Broadcasts Resolved This Increment: 6
Cumulative Resolved on August 31: 324 / 376
Target Repositories Synchronized: radioindex.org-meta and radioindex.org-blog